Friday, February 24, 2012

A good reason to do nothing


and her name is Ella.  I'm in love.  I would like to get back to activity, but this significant anemia may hold me back longer than I thought.  Of course I'm a little dissapointed, but I'm doing all I can to build my hematocrit back into normal ranges and we'll get there when we get there.  Guess there's a reason I didn't have a race schedule for 2012 set in stone.




I really am ok with it though.  I mean I don't love the headaches and quick fatigue and looking like a ghost, but I would do it again in a heartbeat of course for this sweet little girl of mine.  The other kids adore her and it's been so much more rewarding as a mother than ever to watch them love her.



 So maybe I'll start working on pulling my core back together in the next few weeks, maybe a little weight training at home, yoga, pilates,  I don't know.  Won't swim bike run for a while.  Just plan on getting healthy and enjoying the best finisher prize ever

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The long awaited news!

It's a GIRL!

We had our beautiful baby girl Wednesday evening about 5:45.  She was 9lbs 14oz and 21 inches long.  She was born in the water and everything was just so great!  My husband and kids were all there watching her peaceful arrival and we're all in love!  There are lots more details about the birth and more pics on our family blog which you are welcome to visit.

I used Hypnobabies training (the home study course) with this pregnancy and even though it's my 3rd natural birth so you'd think I had the hang of it already, this one was definitely smoother.  I stayed in calm and in control well, kept my confidence, kept focused and relaxed which made things not painless, but a whole lot more manageable than they have been before.  I have been pondering the approach to positive affirmations and mental training I did daily to prepare for her birth, and will continue to ponder how they might be applied to my training and racing as well.

Anyway, time to get back to snuggling my little baby.  Sometimes it seems that's all I'll even do (and I'm fine with that right now, I love her to pieces!  Sitting on the couch nursing and cuddling and gazing is all I want right now), but I felt a twinge of desire to get back into it in the next few weeks.  We'll just start with walking this week though.  Thanks for the well wishes I've received already!!
My family of 6, wow!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

And the Fit2bMom winner is!....

Brittany!

Congrats Brittany, I will email you the info you need to get your own Inspire tank.  Enjoy!

Thanks everyone for entering the random drawing!  If you want another chance at free stuff you can check out my contest below where you guess the gender, birthday, and weight of this little baby of ours who has still yet to make his/her grand entrance.  Stay tuned!

Monday, February 13, 2012

1 more day to win a free Fit2bMom top!

Inspire Tank
Win this super awesome maternity active tank! 
Enter a comment in the post below. 
Drawing is tomorrow!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Fit2BMom maternity activewear review & giveaway!!

What better time than now to do this review seeing as I'm due tomorrow (and still pregnant, better keep busy right?!).  Just means the product is fully and completely tested  :)
Honestly, other than my sleep, having my kids involved, feeling the baby kick inside (and sometimes random stranger comments) the thing I'll miss most about being pregnant is being able to wear these tops!  While all my other maternity stuff is driving me crazy because it doesn't fit any more, these tops are still going strong as big as I've gotten.  And yes, I may not seem huge to some, but A) I feel huge so don't argue with me there  :)  and B) I grow right out in front so I can put maternity clothes through the ringer well.  I'll be surprised if this baby is smaller than 9lbs, and at my 39 week appointment I measured 42cm.  Yep!
This is our 4th baby and I've never had real maternity workout clothing, just wore bigger stuff or my husbands tech shirts or whatever would fit.  Since our 3rd child though I've started teaching water fitness twice a week and well, I just want to still look cute while pregnant and nothing drives me crazier than how I look in an over-sized tech shirt with baggy sleeves down to my elbows and no sign of my new found cleavage, which if we're being honest about, I might as well enjoy while it's not leaky and being spoken for by a baby all the time right?!  And I'm not talking about everyone seeing exposed cleavage, just the shape that goes along with a big belly.  Hate the way over-sized shirts go from my shoulders to belly with nothing in between.  Vain, I know.

Lets see, how did I come upon Fit2bMom, well it was actually December of 2010.  I entered a contest and won a discount code and was super excited to use it....until we miscarried....again.  So when we finally got pregnant again last summer and stayed pregnant I couldn't wait to use it.  I currently have 5 tops and use all of them all week for teaching and for my own workouts.  I've even worn some paired with a cardigan or something over/under as regular tops.  Fit2bMom does have a very nice casual clothing line as well.  I got most of my tops around 15 weeks and worried I wouldn't be able to fill them out, but I did and it felt good to give my growing belly room, and to show off the little at the time baby bump.  And now with the not so little (and we're talking about a 42inch waist right now) baby belly, these tops not only still fit great (which really is miraculous in and of itself), but are flattering.  I love their length.  Even at 39 weeks all my tops still cover the very bottom of my belly and back without riding up at all and I don't feel like I'm stretching the fabric out.  Oh and the fabric?  Awesome! SO soft, hasn't snagged on me at all, washes easy, and breathes well, no complaints there at all.  All of the tops I have have shirred waists which I tell ya, is the way to flatter a pregnant belly.  2 of the tanks I have have super cute backs as well!  So here are some pics.  Most are a month or two old, but honestly they all still fit great.  I'm so impressed something can work so well for a not even 20 week belly to a 40 week belly, same top, same size.  And as for sizing I think they're all pretty on.  I can wear an XS sometimes in pre-preg stuff, but most of my tops are a size small and while I worried when ordering that I should go with a medium so they'd still fit at my biggest round out there belly, the small has worked just fine.
Probably my favorite back, black sports bra is mine.  All the tops I have do have a built in bra as well 
Ok, it's pretty cute from the side and front too!


Super cute back of the Cool Down Tank
Love this Balance Tank. Has a great neckline and banded hem on the bottom.
Check out my 39 week pic below in this top, it's still going strong.
I was fortunate to win 2 of the tops I have, but the other 3 I've purchased.  Even though I only got to use them in 1 pregnancy, they've been my splurge of all my pregnancies, and yes I really think they're worth the money.

Just stay active.  It keeps the aches and pains of pregnancy limited and helps you feel strong and confident and a bit like your usual self.  It doesn't have to be my active, or your friend's active, or anyone's specific definition of active, just keep moving.  Go for a walk, take a class (spinning sitting upright is surprisingly comfortable), do some basic weight training at home even (bicep curls, tricep lifts, shoulder presses, calf raises, etc), just be Fit!
If having a baby is in your now or in your future, definitely check Fit2bMom out on Facebook for updates and sales and contests.

So how about winning a Fit2bMom top of your own?! 
Yep, the wonderful ladies there have given me the ok to give away one of their fabulous Inspire Tanks
Same one I wore in that Massachusetts duathlon I did in October!
  So here's how to win:
Leave me a comment here telling me your favorite piece of clothing from Fit2bMom's website.  You can earn 1 additional entry by sharing their website on your blog or Facebook (like them on FB if you don't already). 
Just tell me which you do.  So 2 entries total possible, and I'll draw a winner, hmmm, how about Valentines day?  Seems like a good day since you'll love their clothes and I'll hopefully be loving on a sweet squishy warm baby!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Yep, still here

and still pregnant.  I'm still doing pretty ok physically which I'm grateful for.  Nights are rough.  Rolling over with a 20lb ball in front of you is harder than one might imagine.  I'm really not even thinking about racing this year (which I will do and do look forward to, it's just not the foremost thing on my mind right now), just excited to meet this baby. 


We're due Friday, but who knows if this baby will come by then or not.  I tend to hope/think so though.  Kind of slacked off working out this week, think I only got 3 workouts in.  At times I feel like I'm just 'sitting around' waiting for this baby to come, but it's good to keep moving.  Saturday morning I had a very nice cardio/weight/swim workout at the pool and while short and sweet it was refreshing.  Here's to hopefully only a couple more!